Method for handling residuum



Dec'. 11, 1934. J. CUTTER 1,983,659

METHOD FOR HANDLING RESIDUUM original Filed March 19, 1927 5sheets-sheet 1 JmL/ardor! R E T T U C J METHOD FOR- HANDLING RESIDUUMOriginal Filed March 19, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wam@ f v v )l I Dec.. l1,1934. J. CUTTER METHOD FR HANDLING RESIDUUM :s sheets-sheet 5 OriginalFiled March 19, 1927 Patented Dec. 11, 1934 t 1,983,659

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FOR HANDLING RESIDUUIW John Cutter,Tulsa, Okla., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Universal Oil ProductsCompany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of South Dakota Application March19, 1927, serial No. 176,589

` Renewed June 21, 1933 4 claims. (01.-196-1) This invention relates toa method for hancompound of residual oils into such a condition dlingresiduum and has special reference to a that it may be handled readily.

method for handling residuum from stills or re- A further object of'thisinvention is to proaction chambers, vaporizing drums or any other vide amethod of the character hereinbefore out- 5 receptacle connectedthereto. lined, which will permit of the rapid withdrawal 5 Moreparticularly, this invention relates to a of residual'oils from stillsor other-distillation method for removingr residual oils or any heavyapparatus whereby a better quality of coke is petroleum derivatives fromany part of petroleum obtained and the same is? more readily.vredistillation apparatus which in the course of opmoved.

l0 eration becomes clogged with coke and saturated Further objects andadvantageswill be ap- 10 with the above mentioned derivatives. Also,this parent from the description and drawings forming invention1'elateS'tO a inetlflOd OI I'emOVing and a part of this specification towhich reference COHdeIiSng any OlonOXOuS ValJOlS arising from may now behad for a more complete under- Seid residudJl Oil 0I' Said DetlOleumderivatives standingfof the characteristic features of this inwhenremoved from said distillation apparatus. ventiens in which drawings; l5

In the handling of residuum, it is particularly Figure 1 is adiagrammatic View of the present objectionable to permit the vaporstherefrom to invention as associated with an apparatus for escapedirectly into the atmosphere for the reatreating petroleum; son, amongothers, that these vapors deposit a Fig.- 2 is a front elevational viewpartially in vresnous-like compound on the surrounding obsection of theapparatus of this invention; 20

jects. Further,A a considerable amount of sale- Fig. 3 is a top planview of Fig. 2; and I able oil may be recovered from these vapors, andFig. i is a detail of the liquid seal, the same as this saleable oil isof aquality which may be being a, vertical section thereof.

.used as a charging stock, a monetary gain is deobviously, the processand apparatus of this rived aside from the suppression of the obnoxiousinvention can be utilized with any `apparatus 25 vapors. Furthermore, bylocating this apparain which a carbon residuum isformed and, theretllS.es ClOSe aS Possible t0 the diStilletiOIl eqlliD- fore, the drawings andfollowing description show ment and making all CODIieCtiIlg lines 3SdiI'eCt merely in skeletonized form a standard oil crackkas possible,thus reducing pipe line friction to a ing System y minimum, this methodand apparatus permits the Referring to the drawings, and more partieu-30 residual oil in the Still, or other apparatus, to be larly to Figure1, it will be evident to those skilled withdrawn rapidly', leaving thecoke deposit in in the art that the cracking system shownis an suchstill free from any liquid or asphaltic comappamtus 0f the tube and tanktype comprispound Whieh DI'OdllCeS d better duality 0f Beke ing thereilux tower 11, the still 12, the vaporizing and also makes the cokemuch easier to remove Chamber 13, a, Condenser 14, and dist-,mate re- 35IOIII the Still. Cever 15,

One of the objects of this invention is to pro- This apparatus is allshown in conventional Vlolo o new and novel method fol' nonollng form asthe construction thereof isvwell known residuum. to those skilled in theart. Briefly, the opera- 40 A further object of this invention is toprovide tion of Such a, Stili is as follows; 40

a method for removing residua-1 Oil 0f any heavy The eil is admitted tothe reiiux tower through petroleum derivatives from any part ofpetroleum the pipe 10, from which it is drawn by the pipe distillationoppolol'no 16 into the cracking tubes 1'7 of the heating A furtherobject of this invention is to provide Chamber of the sti11 12, fromwhere the oil is 4 a' method as indicatedabove WniCll Will preventforced into the vaporizing chamber 13, and from the escape ofobjectionable vapors from the residwhich the vapors are carried to thereflux tower ual oils withdrawn from distillation apparatus. by the pipe18. The vapors which are not re- A further Object 0f this ilflVelltiOnis to provide iiuxed are withdrawn from the top of the reflux a method0f the abOVe meiltOIled type Capable of tower to the condenser 14 wherethey are con- 50 recovering saleable oil from the vapors given offdensed and the uncondensable gas andcracked from residual oils.distillate are then collected in the distillate re- A further Object ofthis inVeIltOn is to provide ceiver 15. The residuum which contains thecara method as hereinbefore mentioned which will bon generated in thecracking operationcollects serve as a cooling medium to harden theasphaltic in the vaporizing chamber 13. 55

This invention relates to the handling and treatment of this residuumand the foregoing description of the cracking apparatus and process isillustrative merely, as any other process in which a carbon residuum isgenerated can be substituted therefor.

The residual oil in the vaporizing chamber is drawn off throughblow-down line 19 at a pressure ranging from a few pounds per squareinch to approximately 800 pounds per square inch. This blow-down line 19is connected to the bottom of a basin 20. Prior to the withdrawal of thesubstance from the vaporizing chamber 13, a drum 21 having no bottom,mounted by means of a chain hoist 22 to the drum supports 23, is

lowered to within a few inches of `the bottom of the concrete basin 20and centrally of the outlet of the line 19. The basin, which isapproximately 50 feet square, is then partially filled with water to adepth of substantially 16 inches thus forming a water seal of a depth of12 inches or more around the drum. These dimensions, of course, may bealtered according to the sizes of the various apparatus and arementioned here only for the purpose of clearer explanation.

. Hot residualY oil mayv then be discharged from the evaporating`chamber 13 by means of the blow-down line 19 into the basin and uponentering the drum 21 at atmospheric pressure, said oil is partiallyvaporized and the volatile portion is carried off through the conduit24, liquid seal 25, conduit 24a, and condensed in the condenser coils26. The liquid, thus condensed, then flows to a sump through the line27. The heavy asphaltic product contained in the residual oil is `forcedout of the drum 21, past the water seal formed yby the bottom of thedrum, and is spread over the surface of the basin 20. The water in thebasin then serves as a cooling meditun to harden the asphaltic compoundinto such a condition that it may be readily handled, that is, shovelledinto trucks or other conveyances.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be noted that theconnection between the drum and the stationary conduit 24a is soconstructed as to permit of the raising and lowering of the drum at thewill of the attendants, eliminating the necessity of manuallycontrolling the vapor line before the position of the drum is changed.This construction comprises a tubular stem portion 28, which isstationary and communicates with the conduit 24a, a sleeve member v29,disposed around the stem 28 and connected to the conduit 24, and ajacket 30 which is stationary with the stem 29 and encompasses both thestem and the sleeve portions. The jacket is provided with Water throughan inlet 3l which inlet is disposed just below the top of the stemportion 28 and as there is no relative movement between the stem andjacket portions 28 and 30, respectively, this Water level will remainunchanged. It will be apparent that a liquid seal will be maintainedthrough the vapor line regardless of the particular position of the drumand no vapors will be permitted to escape. Also., this condition isprovided automatically and requires no manual control.

Referring again to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the blow-down line 19permits of the free removal of the residual oils from the evaporatingchamber 13, which condition is due largely to the minimizing of pipeline friction by making all connecting lines as short and direct aspossible. This rapid Withdrawal of the residual oil from the chamberleaves the coke deposit therein free from any liquid or asphalticcompound and may be removed through the manhole 32. This constructionproduces a much better quality of coke and makes the coke much easier toremove from the still.

As a result of this invention, a new'and novel method of handlingresiduuin from petroleum distillation apparatus is provided in which avaluable oil is recovered from vapors, which, if permitted to escapedirectly into the air, would be obnoxious in many ways. Also, anapparatus is provided whereby a better quality of coke is obtained fromdistillation apparatus and said coke is more readily removed from saiddistillation apparatus. Still further, this invention provides anapparatus whereby the asphaltic compound of theresidual oils'ofdistillation apparatus is cooled and thereby solidified, which conditionpermits of the same being handled very conveniently. Y

`While a single embodiment of this invention is herein shown anddescribed, itis to be understood that the device is not to be limited tothat specific structure since various modifications may be apparent tothose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthis invention, and therefore, the same is to be limited only by thescope of the appended claims and the prior art.

I claim:

1. A method of handling unvaporized residual o-il obtained in the heatand pressure cracking of hydrocarbon oils and containing volatileportions and heavy asphaltic products which comprises removingsuchresidual oil from the cracking process under superatmosphericpressure, introducing said residual oil while at elevated temperatureinto a vaporizing Zone below the level of a body of water maintained inthe lower portion of said zone, lowering the pressure on the residualoil in said zone sufliciently to vaporize the volatile portions of theresidual oil by the self-contained heat of the latter, effectingsubstantial solidication of the heavy asphaltic products of the residualoil by contact with the water in said zone, and separately removing thevaporized volatile portions and the unvaporized asphaltic products fromsaid zone.

2. A method of handling unvaporized residual oil obtained in the heatand pressure cracking of hydrocarbon oils and containing volatileportions and heavy asphaltic products which comprises removing suchresidual voil from the cracking process under superatmospheric pressure,introducing said residual oil while at elevated temperature into avaporizing zone below the level of a body of cooling liquid other thanthe residual oil and maintained in the lower portion of said zone,lowering the pressure on the residual oil in said zone suniciently tovaporize the volatile portions of the residual oil by the self-containedheat of the latter, effecting substantial solidilcation of the heavyasphaltic products of the residuall oil by contact with the coolingliquid in said zone and separately removing the Vaporized volatileportions and the unvaporized asphaltic products from said zone.

3. A method of handling unvaporized residual oil obtained in the heatand pressure cracking of hydrocarbon oils and containing volatileportions and heavy asphaltic products which comprises removing suchresidual oil from a cracking zone under superatmospheric pressure andintroducing the same while at elevated temperature into a vaporizingzone, contacting the entire portion of the residual oil so removed fromthe cracking zone, with a cooling liquid other than the residual oil,lowering the pressure on the residual oil While in transit from thecracking zone to the vaporzing zone suiiiciently to Vaporize thevolatile portions of the residual oil by the self-contained heat of thelatter, effecting substantial solidilcation in said Vaporizing zone ofthe heavy asphaltic products of the residual oil contacted With thecooling liquid, and separately removing the vaporized Volatile portionsand the solidified products from said zone.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 further characterized in that saidcooling liquid comprises Water.

J OI-IN CUTTER.

